Mechanical behavior of X60 pipelines containing pitting corrosion defects based on finite element method

Abstract

Pitting corrosion defect is a common defect in pipelines employed in the oil and gas industry. This paper explores the mechanical behavior and failure pressure (P_f) of the pipelines, and compares the traditional empirical methods used in oil and gas pipelines with pit arrangements including an isolated pit and pitting colony (three and five pits aligned in the longitudinal direction). This study is based on nonlinear finite element method (FEM) and 3-D pipeline models. P_f was predicted by FEM and traditional methods considering the interaction of pitting corrosion defects. The pipeline P_f values obtained by FEM and methods were compared to determine similarities in applications.